Britain, Reuters reports, agreed on Friday to return to Albania a quantity of gold worth 18 million dollars, deposited in English banks from gold seized from the Nazis in the Second World War and which has remained frozen following the sinking of two British warships in 1944. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Albania, for its part, has agreed to pay Britain two million dollars in compensation for the so-called Corfu Channel incident. This is the compensation from Albania for the damage caused when British warships sank after hitting mines in the Corfu Channel in 1946. “We managed to reach an agreement,” the Albanian spokesperson continued, 1,574 kg. weapons of the Spokesperson.

A PAINFUL CHRONICLE Mr. Sali Berisha, President of the Republic To Mr. Bashkim Kopliku, Minister of Public Order With the victory of democracy on March 22, 1992, and your appointment to leadership positions, we thought that at last the rule of law had been established in Albania. Our rights would be rigorously upheld and our lives and honor protected from criminals in the streets. We thought that the letters we sent to you would expose the criminals, as you said before the elections! On April 18, 1992, dozens of women and girls from the Partizani neighborhood sent you letters bearing postal receipt number 358370, Nos. 249, 249, 250, with the following contents (in brief): - On April 15, 1992, in our neighborhood, two criminals, holding knives to her throat, raped the citizen M. N., a married woman with children. After the police were notified, the criminal Ali Saraçi was caught in the act in the presence of ten police officers and neighborhood residents. The victim, naked and battered, was taken to the branch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, along with the vagabond Ali Saraçi, since the other vagabond managed to escape. They kept Ali Saraçi in custody for only three days and released him without the slightest shame or sense of responsibility. We ask you: Should the heads of the Elbasan branch of internal affairs and the investigative service remain in office, after covering up this disgrace by taking, so they say, more than 30,000 new lek? Should the leaders of the lgjit put pressure on the victim “to withdraw the complaint, or they’ll humiliate you even more,” when in fact the police officers themselves are living witnesses to this disgrace? -And what did you do with our letters? Your silence makes it clear that you too now no longer have the strength to enforce the laws, or else we women will have to appeal to international organizations, because we still do not have a state governed by the rule of law. Note: Please do not publish our names, as we are women with husbands and children. With deep indignation, the girls and women of the “Partizani” neighborhood, Elbasan.

— For more than a week, 500 workers at the «Adelchi» shoe factory in Shkodër have been on strike. shoe factory in Shkodër, with the approval of the district’s independent trade unions as well, have been on strike over several economic demands. The workers are seeking a review of their wages to reflect the rise in the value of the dollar according to the official exchange rate; to be treated as medically certified sick leave under Albanian state laws and not according to the company’s administrative order; the provision of antidotes in cases where they are entitled to them; suitable working conditions; the company’s canteen, etc. Almost all these demands, apart from the one concerning wages, had not only been promised to the workers earlier, but there is also no reason why they should not be met. Likewise, at a time when the management of this company is being accused of numerous abuses, particularly in connection with the exchange of dollars and other issues, we believe their demands should be resolved as soon as possible. But this strike is now known throughout the district, and the problem is not that the demands have been presented. Our concern is that although a week has passed since the strike began, and although tensions in the union keep rising, no one has gone to listen properly and talk with the workers; no one is making an effort to resolve their grievances and tell them clearly whether they are right or not. Without wishing to, we are reminded of another time, not so long ago, when even before a strike of any kind was known about, it would already have been loudly publicized, made a great fuss over, and brought to public attention. The workers no longer need publicity; they need their grievances resolved. They believe someone is profiting and getting rich at the expense of their hard work; they accuse various managers of deception, and it is the duty of the state bodies, including the State Audit, to take action when abuses involving millions and millions of lek are alleged. Otherwise, they should defend the managers’ dignity and not let them fall victim to rumors. But the official delays in responding to the workers, the evasion of responsibility, and leaving 500 workers without an answer all speak in favor of the workers’ demands. Another fact is also troubling. Considerable pressure, even physical violence, is being used against the striking workers, especially the leaders of the independent union. Workers are being told they will be replaced by others, that they will be left without work, and that they will be selected for dismissal. Threats of the kind used a year ago simply to make people go on strike have also been made. The trade unionists are also being threatened verbally. They are even barred from entering the factory premises, and they are also thre- (To be continued on page 2)

As reported in the information bulletin of the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Kosovo, during a recent session of the parliament of the Republic of Kosovo it was decided that the first free elections in Kosovo would be held on May 24, 1992.

As part of humanitarian aid, 150 tons of chlorine from the Federal Republic of Germany arrived in Albania by land in recent days. The Federal Government had already sent another 100 tons of chlorine in February of this year. Together, the two quantities cover the Republic of Albania’s needs for this substance for six months. It will be needed, among other things, to disinfect drinking water and prevent diseases and epidemics. The recipient of this aid is the State Municipal Supply Company (General Directorate of Municipal Services, Water Supply Directorate), which will distribute it to all the cities of Albania, as it did in February of this year. The Ministry of Health will receive 20 to 30 tons of chlorine from the second shipment (150 tons) and distribute it to all the hospitals in Albania. Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany

A REFRAIN OF THE CAPITAL - Only the swindling organizers win - What is the police doing? - It continues to look on A REFRAIN OF THE CAPITAL “This one wins, this one doesn’t...” - Only the swindling organizers win - What is the police doing? - It continues to look on “White, white, red, this one wins, the red one. Put your money here to win, white, this one doesn’t win...” This is the refrain repeated several times in a game that has spread like an epidemic in recent days in Tirana and elsewhere. It is a three-playing-card game “imported” from Greece. There it is played illegally in streets and alleyways, always keeping a lookout to evade the police. Dozens of Albanian refugees, as well as others, have fallen prey to this fraudulent game. Many have felt the bitter taste of this “luck,” and some, to make up for their losses, are trying to win it back here in Albania. Could it be a lottery to test your luck? Of course not! It is nothing but an organized scam. The “owner of the illegal business” is not alone. His orchestra of accomplices play the role of players, the “fifth column” among ordinary citizens who join in, thinking they are trying their luck. They themselves, the organizers, are the first to rush toward one of the cards, placing 100 to 500 new lek on it. For a moment, you get the impression that this money really has been placed on the red card, the winning one. And the others rush over there. But the card that is turned over is white, because the money is set up to end up in the hands of three or four people. Do you really believe that, in most cases, those 13- or 14-year-old children organize this game?! No. The real swindlers are hiding behind them. Meanwhile, the police look on. — ARSEL HAXHIA

May 10, 1992 – First Congress of the Albanian Eurosocialist Youth Forum May 10, 1992 – THE BASIC ELEMENT IN THE REFORM OF SOCIETY — Interview with the chairman of the Albanian Eurosocialist Youth Forum, Ilir Zela, by editor Thoma Gëllçi — Question: What is the aim of the first congress of the Albanian Eurosocialist Youth Forum? First, I would like to thank the newspaper “Zëri i popullit,” which continually opens its pages to report on the activities of the forum and the views of young Eurosocialists, thus also becoming the voice of this forum. The First Congress of the Eurosocialist Youth Forum will discuss and reflect on the many events that have taken place in Albania, on the serious problems of the youth and of all Albania, on the forum’s work to date, and on the prospects for our work in the future. The Congress will define the conceptual and organizational platform of the forum as a youth opposition organization, an important force for deepening and protecting democracy in Albania, and for defending the interests of members and supporters of the democratic-socialist alternative in a market economy. Looking back at some important moments in its work to date, we will define as accurately as possible our objectives for the future and the practical ways of achieving them. The national meeting of the Forum, held on January 15, although necessary at the time and having fulfilled its mission, also had some weaknesses that became apparent in its earlier activities. It did not manage to define the main guidelines that would enable the forum to function like any political organization. The Forum’s basic documents—the Program and the Statute—were not approved, the ways of coordinating work with the Party were not defined, nor were the methods and criteria for the Party and its membership to provide material and financial support to the forum. It is up to our First Congress to determine all the matters mentioned above and to mark… (Continued on page 3)

The Eastern European system had been paralyzed for some time. Meanwhile, repeated attempts at its revisionism in various countries, with different magnitudes in the economic, political, and social spheres, had made it unpredictable. A moment came when, through the confrontation between the Eastern system and various examples of democratic systems, the popular masses began to demand the abandonment of totalitarian communist systems. The subsequent course of governance in these countries developed mainly in two ways: economic reform based on the demands of the market economy and opening the doors to foreign investment, accompanied by equivalent political reform without fundamental changes to the one-party system. (China is the typical example today.) 2) Political reform first, moving to a system of political pluralism, but without fundamental changes to economic reform (Eastern and Central Europe). The 1990s found our country in a state of paralysis, or, to be more precise, in an even worse condition, especially economically. Social tensions were rising considerably, regardless of the embellishments or glossing-over applied to the system domestically. The desire of the people for a better life, the system’s inability to meet the population’s ever-growing demands, especially those of the capable and growing youth, and the existence of an international democratic background placed our country too—though not by chance—on the path of democratic change and overthrow. This extreme historical movement would not be without consequences even during the period of emergence from the one-party system. — Attitudes toward the past—identifying two fronts. Is the concept of «tradition» more valuable? Coexistence of former owners, former communists, and eternal political sycophants. Populism defeated arguments and intellectual logic. The disillusioned are backed against the wall by the far right and the flatterers of every era. The genuinely democratic forces must think «seriously about the fate of democracy and the freedom of the homeland. — In attempting to distance ourselves from Eastern systems, we set ourselves the goal of bringing the system closer to an ideal with as few defects as possible; assistance became caught in complete isolation and an autarkic position, which deepened the economic and social crisis. Economic mistakes, from the development of heavy industry to extreme forms of class struggle, a governing hierarchy filled with incapable and servile people, and complete isolation, all left… The introduction of the pluralist system, founded on parliamentary democracy, the market economy, and the human dimension. One of the defects accompanying the transitional period was the lack of pluralism and the identification of only two fronts, distinguished from one another chiefly by their attitudes toward the past. One grouping, seeking to bring about a transitional phase without much tension and social upheaval, attempts to reassess the past dialectically, with its shortcomings, mistakes, and merits, while the other grouping insistently seeks to deny and destroy everything from the past, treating the moment it took power as year zero. In the new situation after December 1990, everyone, regardless of their past, had and has the most basic right in a pluralist society to identify with one or another political grouping. Indeed, amid very rapid changes, it is natural for people to move from one grouping to another. Also, bearing in mind that the fundamental criterion distinguishing the two groupings is extremely broad and has nothing to do with alternatives for the future, it is normal and to be expected that these factions will become the nuclei of new parties. I would say that, as political alignments based on convictions and the social and economic base take shape, Albanian political life will undoubtedly see reorganizations of the two main groupings and a tendency toward convergence among factions from different groupings; these must necessarily be included if the concept of «tradition» is to be abandoned.

Green consumption?! A noisy refugee market, outdated colors of the European market. Nevertheless, you find something thanks to an efficient emigration. Nevertheless, thank you! Citizens pass by as if in a procession. They stop in their tracks. How much, boss? They shake their heads and move on to the ranks of the faketqe: — Come on, a socialist market. Thousands of people pass in a line without getting their hands on anything. Farther on—the farmers’ market. A green market: made by our own efforts. Here, yes: spinach, onions, lettuce... A little quarrel over the price, a dialogue: — You know, I won’t sign this on the payroll! — I’m at 80 percent! A «consensus» is reached and a decision is made. One, two, three exchanges: a bag filled with greenery. Vegetarian food, or the great feast of the… Synoptic-ka warns that green consumption will dominate! SFI, M.

Now that prices have gone wild in the country’s economic sphere, all Albanians are engaged in microeconomics. Someone counts the kilos for a loaf, for each bite; someone else for food, another for... But undoubtedly young couples have the biggest problem. Exhibitions and firms indulge their dreams of a happy married life. But to get that far, they have to overcome very small financial obstacles. For example, first of all, couples and their families need to hold at least a modest wedding, so they don’t send their children off “as partisans.” So, they have to

May 10, 1992 – First Congress of the Albanian Eurosocialist Youth Forum

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